Tips For Dealing with Teething Puppies

Bringing home a puppy and introducing a puppy as a new member of your family is such an exciting experience to behold. There’s the promise of puppy kisses and silly sights as they figure out how to get their paws grounded as a newcomer to the world and your family. Along with that excitement though, comes minor bumps that might cause some stress over time. 

When you have a puppy, you might notice they are starting to nip at you or objects more. This means they’re teething. We’re talking about those 28 micro teeth inside your puppy's mouth. You might be walking to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and have this little ball of fluff following you and nipping at your ankles with every step, or perhaps a left sneaker now has more holes for airflow than the right sneaker from the pair you have. 

It happens. All we can do is take a deep breath, be patient, and maybe apply some tips for dealing with teething and nipping puppies! You see, these puppies get their teeth earlier than human babies do, and when that time rolls around, you will notice more drooling occur. Your puppy will seek out more things to chew on to deal with the growth of their teeth and their teething. 

Here are some tips for dealing with teething puppies!

#1 | Practice your theatrics and react.

When dogs play-fight with each other and get too rough, one dog may yelp or bark loudly to express their pain. So when your dog starts to bite or nip at you, bust out your acting chops and let out a high-pitched “ouch” or something that indicates you’re in pain. With time, your puppy will know that’s not okay and stop what they’re doing.

#2 | Don’t reward your puppy when they nip.

If your dog nips or bites too much while you’re playing, stop playing. Playing is a form of reward and rewards don’t always take the shape of treats! Keep that in mind. Your attention is everything to your puppy!

#3 | Look into toys that are useful for the teething phases.

Hard nylon and rubber toys are usually the best toy options to go with like Kong toys. These toys can withstand the teething and are also safe on your puppy’s teeth.

NOTE: While you’re spending more time at home during this quarantine and isolation period, you might have a foster puppy or a newly adopted puppy at home with you. So if you’re looking for dog toys, be safe at home and place an order online. When the package is delivered, make sure you completely wipe down the package and disinfect it or let it sit outside for a while to avoid potential exposure to COVID-19.